Business culture and customs

Have you ever been asked to send in your picture along with your resume when applying for a corporate job? Here in Peru it is part of the business culture to not only ask for a picture at the time you apply but to also have a maximum age requirement for the position, and this is typically explicitly stated on the job posting. In case you don’t believe me, below is a recent job add for an accountant in the business section of a well established local newspaper; are you older than 30? Then you can’t apply!



Since starting my project two weeks ago I’ve noticed business customs that even I have had to adjust to. The most notorious one is when you first greet the person you are meeting with. In the U.S., it is done with a handshake. In Peru, it is typically done with a kiss on the cheek. It is known that in the Latin culture this is how you greet everyone but I’ve always thought it was only done in social settings. Due to my experience in the U.S. business environment, it is a custom I am not used to yet. It is hard to tell if someone will prefer a handshake or a kiss on the cheek, so I just have to follow the lead.

Regarding social customs, don’t forget to use your fork and knife when you eat a sandwich. Yes, your sandwich! This must be the latest fad in Lima since I had never before noticed that custom. As a matter of fact, when I started my project, I started going to this one coffee shop type place to eat because it is near where I work. My first day there, I ordered a sandwich and ate it as I usually do in the U.S., no fork and knife needed. On my second day, as I was picking up my sandwich I noticed that at all of the other tables people were eating their sandwich with their fork and knife. I felt like a cavewoman! As the saying goes “when in Rome, do as the Romans do;” so I quickly put down my sandwich and picked up my fork and knife. To tell you the truth, I didn’t enjoy my sandwich as much :) One week later, at a different place, I noticed the same thing. I again followed the lead. When I asked my family about this custom, they pointed out that this is the latest in the middle to upper class in the city. I was definitely not aware!

I had the opportunity to spend New Year’s Eve in Peru. Did you wear your yellow underwear, ate 12 grapes, carried coins or lentils in your pockets, or ran around your neighborhood with your suitcase at midnight on the 31st?!? Well, I didn’t either but these are definitely local customs. The yellow underwear, and anything yellow for that matter, is for good luck. The 12 grapes at midnight allow you one wish per month. You do have to eat all 12 within the first minute, so be careful not to choke! The coins or lentils in your pockets are so that the New Year brings you money/wealth. Running around your neighborhood with a piece of suitcase is so that you travel a lot during the New Year. Another tradition not yet mentioned is the piñatas. Piñatas representing any public figure that received a lot of attention throughout the year are sold everywhere and you can take it out on “him/her" at midnight.

The last New Year’s tradition worth mentioning is one that I always remember from when I was a kid and lived in Peru. We used to make human-size dolls stuffed with old clothes, fireworks, school notebooks (school year here ends in December since it starts in March), and anything else you would want to get rid off. Then at midnight, you would light it up. This signifies getting rid of the old and starting the New Year fresh.

This year I started off my year with friends from Fuqua that were in Lima, either visiting their families or passing by. We were at a New Year Eve’s party and experienced another Peruvian social custom at 3:30 AM. There is a soup we call ‘aguadito’ or sometimes better referred to as ‘levanta muertos’ which means that it brings back the dead :) So after almost 6 hours of partying, we were served aguadito to “bring everyone back to live” and continue with the party. Great recommendation for a long night out!